33 Commentson "A Real-Life Perpetual Motion Machine? (Video)"

However it was done, it’s a neat trick. Making a physical model of an Escher device is enormously difficult, but possible (for a single vantage point). This was probably done with a green screen, and composited, with a bit of wood, the buckets, and water in the green room, then overlaid onto a real room, with the escher device digitally inserted.

However it was done, it’s a neat trick. Making a physical model of an Escher device is enormously difficult, but possible (for a single vantage point). This was probably done with a green screen, and composited, with a bit of wood, the buckets, and water in the green room, then overlaid onto a real room, with the escher device digitally inserted.

I’m not so sure it’s cgi. His shadow does cross in the way you’d expect for the way you’d actually build something like that (ie, when he’s a little closer to the camera. The “top” is probably smaller than it looks and closer). It’s more likely that there’s a spot where the water is being pumped up like a fountain and part of the illusion is hiding where the water is disappearing and reappearing farther up.

I’m not so sure it’s cgi. His shadow does cross in the way you’d expect for the way you’d actually build something like that (ie, when he’s a little closer to the camera. The “top” is probably smaller than it looks and closer). It’s more likely that there’s a spot where the water is being pumped up like a fountain and part of the illusion is hiding where the water is disappearing and reappearing farther up.

You’re entitled to an opinion on the video itself, but there are huge implications for bringing Escher’s drawings to real life in any way. We need to expand our conceptions of what is possible. Personally I had never even thought of that drawing as a potential self-regenerating power device, until I saw this video (whether “real” or CGI).

You’re entitled to an opinion on the video itself, but there are huge implications for bringing Escher’s drawings to real life in any way. We need to expand our conceptions of what is possible. Personally I had never even thought of that drawing as a potential self-regenerating power device, until I saw this video (whether “real” or CGI).